MOSCOW, January 13 (Itar-Tass) – President Vladimir Putin knows about the opposition rally held earlier on Sunday, but believes that every point of view has the right to exist, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the rally against the anti-adoption law.
“The president is of course in the know,” he said. “We have repeatedly said that every point of view has the right to exist, and the society must show equal respect to any point of view,” Peskov said to DOZHD television. “However, it is necessary to render tribute to the point of view that prevails, and take the law that has come into effect as law,” he said. “Any state is based and must be based on that,” Peskov stressed.
According to him, “people who express concern in connection with the fate of orphans are absolutely right.” “However, they cannot but hear and see the clearly stated intention of the country leadership, and President Putin in particular, to take a set of additional measures to improve the situation and ensure the orphans with everything necessary, to simplify and make more orderly the process of adoptions inside the country, he stressed.
“On the whole the intentions of the authorities to make this very process more simple and efficient within the country cannot be criticized, but it is either impossible to abstract away from that and oppose all,” he said. “We are speaking not just about a ban, but about intentions to create due conditions inside the country,” Peskov said.
“So the ban is not unfounded, firstly. And secondly law is law and it must be implemented,” he said. “Disagreement does not relieve one from abiding by law,” he said reminding the viewers about “opinion polls that confirm that the majority of the population supports the taken measures one way or another”.
“Any point of view deserves attention, but with the understanding that law is law, it is implemented, with the understanding that those people who are rightfully concerned about the fate of orphans cannot but see intentions of the country leadership to make a qualitative breakthrough in the situation inside the country,” he stressed.
“The protest and the civil society mature. It is absolutely correct to take care of the orphans. People take to the streets and say they are worried about orphans,” he continued. And “it is the duty of the authorities to make it so that the orphans feel better in our country,” he stressed.
Speaking about appeals to dissolve the State Duma, he said “I have no attitude to that”. He believes “these appeals cannot deserve attention, they cannot be treated with respect”. “Away with the Duma” – this is not constructive. “Duma is our parliament, it was elected in a nationwide vote, and treating the legislative authority with disrespect – we have nothing to speak about with these people,” he summed up.